Previews

UNLIMITED: SaGa

The game's battle system looks much like those in most RPGs, but it appears that there are some changes that'll add some nuance to the game. I have to admit I didn't get to see as much of the battle system as I would have liked -- it'll take a lot more examination to come up with a truly informed opinion on it. In each round, the player party gets five turns to use for attacks, split amongst however many members you have. If you have three party members, or only one -- it's still five turns. You can setup an attack to continually hold its power and charge up from turn to turn, but if the enemy's attack priority interrupts yours, you'll lose that chain.

Presentation wise, the battles are pretty standard, although the use of the game's characteristic ring menus continues, including one that quickly spins to determine critical attacks. The graphics consist of 3D battle environments populated by high-resolution 2D sprites in the game's trademark Sketch Motion style. The battles in the demo looked extremely difficult. One wrinkle to U:S is that your character has both HP and LP, or "Life Points." Once your character is knocked down to 0 HP, he or she begins to lose LP. Run out of LP, and your character is permanently dead. One thing's become immediately clear: U:S is likely to be the most challenging RPG on the PS2 and will test the mettle of the most dedicated, hardcore gamers.

Super Sonic Warriors

He might have low self-esteem, but he's so huggable!

What gave me the most positive impression during the demo was unquestionably the game's soundtrack. While the jury's still out on just about every aspect -- the soundtrack is absolutely lovely. What I heard of the music made me instantly consider putting in an order for the soundtrack at Amazon.co.jp, even though I wasn't sure how I felt about the game itself after such a brief interlude with it. Much of what I heard was performed on real instruments -- not synthesized, and as with the Xenosaga soundtrack it makes a definite impact.

While it's unusual to say the least, U:S definitely deserves a closer look. With a unique visual style, strange and slightly skewed play mechanics, and a ton of playable characters -- UNLIMITED: SaGa could be the answer to many RPG fans' dreams, even if it doesn't capture the hearts of fans of more mainstream games. It may not be the most innovative Square RPG to hit these shores, but it may be the most unusual.